Apple’s new Visual Intelligence feature, part of its iOS 26 update, is poised to redefine smartphone interaction by embedding advanced artificial intelligence directly into the iPhone’s camera and screen-capture capabilities, transforming how users interpret and act upon their visual world.
This new tool, integrated within the broader Apple Intelligence suite, allows iPhones to analyze instantly what appears on the screen or what the camera is seeing in real-time. It moves beyond simple recognition to offer actionable insights.
Users can, for example, extract text from screenshots, generate direct web links from images, or prompt AI models for explanations of complex visuals. It can also automatically suggest adding detected dates and times to a calendar.
The Visual Intelligence feature is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. It will also be supported on all iPhone 16 series, iPhone 17 series, and the iPhone Air, provided they are running iOS 26.
Its core functionalities include identifying objects, locations, or people within an image or a live camera scene. It enables visual searches to find similar images online or identify specific items.
In certain contexts, the feature can read text aloud, translate languages, or perform “Look Up” functions for recognizable logos, animals, or plants. This streamlines information gathering directly from visual inputs.
When taking a screenshot, users will see “Ask” and “Search” options appear. “Ask” prompts the AI for information about the image, such as identifying a building or brand.
The “Search” option performs a visual lookup for similar images online. Users can also draw on the screen to focus the search on a specific part of the image.
For real-time camera use, the feature is accessible through the Camera application or via a dedicated Visual Intelligence icon in the Control Center. Certain models, like the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, or iPhone 16e, can utilize a specific camera control or the Action button.
In camera mode, users have “Ask,” “Capture,” and “Search” buttons. “Ask” allows questions about what the camera is viewing, such as requesting wine pairing suggestions after scanning a label.
“Capture” takes a photo for later AI analysis, while “Search” performs immediate visual identification of objects, animals, or plants in the live feed.
Practical applications include pointing the camera at a concert poster to automatically add event dates to a calendar. Users can photograph an unknown plant to receive identification details.
It also extends to everyday tasks like taking a screenshot of a bicycle seen online and using the “Search” function to find its price or purchasing options.